Life in the Land
Connecting People & Place in Montana
Hear perspectives from across Montana that provide global inspiration for healthy relationships between people and the land, through collaboration and leadership from local communities.
View the films & podcasts by location below.
Trailer for the Life in the Land film series:
How to use the Life in the Land content
You may screen any of the films for free at your public gathering, event, or in the classroom.
If you show the film publicly, please fill out THIS SHORT FORM so we can track impact for our funding purposes.
The films can be used to "kick-off" workshops or conversations big and small on how to apply holistic and locally-led approaches to your own region or community...from conferences, to agency meetings, to casual community gatherings.
The films and podcasts can also be used within educational curriculum.
Check out where the films have been shown.
Resources for Hosting a Screening
Reach out to receive a FREE simple Screening & Discussion Guide or to inquire about having Life in the Land co-facilitate a screening and post-film discussion with your group or community. We also offer Advocate Through Story workshops, where we can help your group or community articulate the story of your work.
Click on a location to view the film and podcasts from that region.
Central Montana
Plains
This landscape hosts critical biodiversity and is home to hardworking communities. Hear from those working together to foster resiliency for rural communities and their ecosystems, in the midst of land ownership changes and increasing drought.
This critical wildlife habitat and corridor is also home to people whose lives are guided by the land. Hear from Seeley-Swan residents and members of the neighboring Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes locally led partnerships, sustainable natural resource industry approaches, and stewardship of forested ecosystems.
The Upper Yellowstone River
The stretch of the Yellowstone River that runs through Paradise Valley supports a wealth of biodiversity and local economies driven by recreation and agriculture. This film hears perspectives underscoring that regardless of the pressure, whether it is increasing floods, droughts, or river recreation, the response is more impactful when it is guided by the river itself, and the local community members.
Hear unique perspectives from those
who are carrying on the holistic approaches and reciprocal relationships that have been
a part of Amskapi Piikani lifeways for thousands of years, in ways that empower their community moving into the future.
The
Big Hole Valley
This Valley is an expanse of intact grasslands and waterways which support the wildlife, working landscapes, and rural communities. Find out how people representing a diversity of needs within a watershed are coming together to find ways for a thriving coexistence.
THE
MIGHTY FEW
COMING FALL 2023
LET US KNOW if you want to be notified
when this film is available online!
This district of the Crow Nation, with Wyola as its
town center, may be relatively small in population,
but has a history of being strong and resourceful.
Witness the truly grassroots efforts taking place in this community that are connecting its members,
empowering youth, and developing local economic opportunities, all in ways that honor traditional values and tap into local strengths.
"They are beautiful films and capture how communities, people, and the landscape are connected,
and have to be, in order to flourish." - Montana resident
"I felt such Piikani pride watching the Blackfeet Nation film and so incredibly grateful to have connected with all of these wonderful people not only from home, but from across the state that have done such amazing work and have shared their inspiration, passion, and love for land and community. Also with the Big Hole film, it really resonated how empowering and amazing community can be when we work together and step up to solve our own problems within our communities and on the land. I am so incredibly grateful and honored to have been part of such a beautiful film and such important work."
- Kristen Kipp, Blackfeet Nation, Piikani Lodge Health Institute
"[This project] has the potential to change the mindset of Americans to recognize their responsibilities in promoting the enhancement of a working landscape through supporting and recognizing those of us that are stewarding their precious land for its and society's sake. It gives solace to those of us who have developed a land ethic based on what nature has taught us and the strength to embrace our responsibility as nature's and society's caretakers."
- Jim Hagenbarth, Big Hole Valley rancher
“In this increasingly divisive and combative socio-political climate that we are in, Life in the Land shows through these stories that people of all backgrounds can come together and make effective change. It shows both historical and current collaborative work and the positive impacts that occur when people come together. It reminds us that no matter what happens on the political stage, we are all integrated into these ecosystems together.”
- Rebecca Ramsey, featured voice, Swan Valley Connections
"The films themselves create a celebration for people who have been in on these efforts for many years, to see their stories reflected in a clear, compelling narrative. Expanding the outreach, screenings, and workshops is important for advancing the work that is featured as well as inspiring this approach elsewhere. It's an opportunity to expand and bring more attention to the importance of the work, to enlist more supporters and partners, and potentially lead to more resources and grant opportunities, because we are better able to articulate the work and connect with people around the story of the work. Everywhere, we are hearing the drumbeat of people needing to tell their story. This is a really authentic answer to that call. It inspires others to think, 'I'd like to create a story like that in my community', where we can pull people together and create a community guided response to our own challenges."
- Bill Milton, featured voice, Rancher & Community Facilitator, Roundup, MT